tz 

691 

F3 


'amphlets  and  Clippings 


in  a 


Business  Library 


VIRGINIA  FAIRFAX 


Pamphlets  and  Clippings 

in  a 

Business  Library 


By 

VIRGINIA  FAIRFAX,  Librarian 
CarnatioB  Milk  Products  Company,  Chicago 


JOURNAL  OF  ELECTRICITY  AND  WESTERN  INDUSTRY 

San  Francisco 

1921 


k. 


ubrarY 

SCHOOL 


•    «    •<■ 


FOREWORD 

This  series  of  articles,  published  first  in  the 
Journal  of  Electricity,  and  now  in  pamphlet  form, 
was  written  in  answer  to  persistent  requests  for 
definite  and  reliable  details  of  how  best  to  arrange 
pamphlets,  leaflets,  etc.,  in  a  business  library  in  order 
to  make  their  valuable  contents  quickly  available. 

The  subject  of  this  pamphlet  is  based  on  the 
course  of  instruction  given  by  the  author  at  the 
Riverside  Library  Service  School,  Riverside,  Calif. 
It  is  not  theoretical ;  it  is  the  result  of  the  author's 
experience  in  working  out  a  practical  method  of 
filing  pamphlets  and  clippings,  based  on  approved 
principles  of  Library  Science;  it  is  operating  with 
most  satisfactory  results  in  her  own  and  other  busi- 
ness libraries. 

It  is  hoped,  therefore,  that  the  information  con- 
tained herein  may  serve  as  a  guide  to  business 
librarians  in  organizing  alphabetic  subject  files,  and 
also  may  be  of  service  to  teachers  who  are  giving 
instruction  on  this  subject. 

V.  F. 
Chicago,  Illinois, 
February,  1921. 


434152 


Copyright  by 

Journal  of  Electricity  and  Western  Industry 

1921 


CONTENTS 

Page 

Chapter  1 — Their   Value   When   Organized   for 

Ready  Reference 7 

Where  to  obtain  business  facts 

How  to  make  pamphlet  material  valuable 

The  value  of  proper  filing 

Chapter  2 — Sources  and   Selection   of  Material     14 

Periodicals  and  national  commercial  organizations 

Pamphlets  issued  by  banks 

Chambers  of  commerce  at  home  and  abroad 

Pamphlets  from  the  United  States  Government 

State  publications 

Miscellaneous  sources 

Selection  of  material 

Chapter  3 — Filing  Equipment  Needed 30 

Vertical  unit  cabinets 

Style  and  quality  of  folders 

Envelopes  for  clippings 

Gummed  name  labels 

Files,  with  and  without  guides 

Cards  and  card  tray  cabinets 

Chapter  4 — How  Information  Is  Classified .     41 

Systems  of  classification 

Chapter  5 — The  Alphabetic  Subject  File 45 

Preparation  of  material 

Subject  headings 

Marking  of  material 

Cutter  numbers 

Miscellaneous  folders 

The  catalog  or  card  index 

Filing  and  arrangement  in  folders 

Elimination  or  discard  of  old  material 


PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 
IN  A  BUSINESS  LIBRARY 

CHAPTER  I 

THEIR  VALUE  WHEN  ORGANIZED  FOR 
READY  REFERENCE 

A  New  York  bank,  in  one  of  its  recent  advertise- 
ments said:  "Business  judgment  involving  millions 
must  be  founded  on  facts.  .  .  .  Hasty  judgment 
based  on  insufficient  knowledge  may  cause  wide- 
spread disaster." 

The  most  successful  business  men  of  today  are 
those  who  study  the  facts  of  their  business,  who 
study  their  trade  papers  and  learn  what  other  people 
are  doing.  It  is  the  absence  of  accurate  data,  of 
complete  knowledge,  of  planning  supported  by  facts 
that  cause  disaster  to  enterprises  that  are  launched 
without  sufficient  knowledge  and  not  founded  on 
facts.  Any  action  is  a  gamble  unless  reinforced  by 
exhaustive  information  and  that  information  must 
consist,  not  only  of  precedent,  but  also  of  the  experi- 
ences, experiments  and  discoveries  of  others  in  the 
specific  field  under  consideration.  A  successful  busi- 
ness man  must  gather  these  facts  from  original 
sources.  The  entire  available  field  of  information 
must  be  raked  for  facts  applicable  to  the  business 
needs  of  the  individual  business  man  or  organization. 


8  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

Where  to  Obtain  Business  Facts 

How  is  the  business  man  to  obtain  his  facts? 
Where  will  he  obtain  the  latest  and  most  authentic 
information  in  order  that  he  may  have  complete 
knowledge  and  avoid  ''hasty  judgments"? 

Years  ago  the  business  man  depended  on  books 
for  practically  all  of  his  facts.  Scientific,  industrial 
and  financial  problems  were  fewer  than  today.  He 
had  more  time  to  read.  He  had  more  time  to  study 
and  obtain  the  few  facts  that  were  needed  for  his 
business  enterprises  and  these  facts  did  not  alter 
from  hour  to  hour  and  become  obsolete,  as  it  were, 
over  night. 

However,  in  the  present  day  of  swift  growth 
and  rapid  changes  and  when  manufacturing  and 
commercial  organizations  are  conducting  business  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  the  success  of  many  enter- 
prises hinges  upon  the  character  of  the  facts  fur- 
nished for  guidance;  and  books  alone,  as  sources  of 
information,  cannot  be  depended  upon  because  many 
of  them  are  out  of  date  before  they  are  printed. 
Tn  fact,  some  of  them  are  out  of  date  before  their 
authors  have  finished  writing  them.  The  value  of 
books  should  not,  however,  be  depreciated,  because 
undoubtedly  many  of  them  are  most  necessary  in 
business;  but  the  attention  of  the  business  man  is 
emphatically  directed  to  the  value  of  a  great  Niagara 
of  printed  information  that  ought  to  be  read  because 
it  contains  the  advance  information  from  which 
books  are  made  and  in  which  will  be  found  the  accu- 
rate data  and  the  last  word  on  business  facts. 


THEIR     VALUE  9 

Tf  not  throiig-h  books,  how  is  this  flood  of  valu- 
able information  being  spread?  It  comes  in  the  form 
of  pamphlets,  brochures,  reprints,  reports,  leaflets 
and  letters.  It  is  to  be  found  in  the  scientific  and 
technical  journals,  in  the  trade  periodicals  and  in  the 
newspapers.  There  are  hundreds  of  technical  asso- 
ciations, banks  and  commercial  organizations,  soci- 
eties, clubs  and  private  individuals  printing  and  dis- 
tributing information  of  great  value  on  technical, 
economic,  financial,  industrial  and  sociological  sub- 
jects that  cannot  be  obtained  elsewhere.  Even  in 
that  class  of  printed  matter  which  is  designed  pri- 
marily for  advertising  purposes,  such  as  house 
organs  and  trade  catalogs,  may  be  found  valuable 
experimental  data,  descriptions  of  tests  and  appara- 
tus with  diagrams  and  tables,  that  will  not  be  found 
in  books. 

The  many  and  varied  departments  of  the  Fed- 
eral Government  are  printing  and  distributing  valu- 
able information.  Also  the  departments  of  the 
various  states  and  municipalities  of  our  own  and 
foreign  countries  are  printing  and  distributing  infor- 
mation on  specific  subjects,  all  of  which  may  be  had 
free  of  cost,  or  for  a  very  nominal  price.  Most  of 
this  printed  matter  comes  in  pamphlet  or  mimeo- 
graphed form.  It  records  reliable  facts  and  statis- 
tics, summarizes  laws  and  furnishes  up-to-date  infor- 
mation that  is  needed  day  by  day  in  business  offices 
and  for  which  the  business  man  cannot  wait  until  it 
gets  into  book  form. 


10  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

How  to  Make  Pamphlet  Material  Valuable 

Is  this  mass  of  printed  material  really  of  value  ? 
Most  emphatically,  yes,  but  not  all  of  it  to  all  busi- 
ness men.  Bulletins,  reprints,  abstracts,  periodicals 
and  many  newspapers  specialize  and  that  is  what  the 
busy  man  of  today  requires.  It  is  not  a  very  rare 
occurrence  for  a  man  to  find  in  a  single  issue  of  a 
trade  paper  an  idea  that  is  worth  many  times  all 
that  he  could  pay  for  trade  papers  in  a  whole  life- 
time. By  way  of  illustration:  The  librarian  of  an 
engineering  firm  noted  in  a  trade  paper  an  item  of 
three  or  four  lines  that  stated  that  the  Geological 
Survey  of  a  certain  state  had  issued  a  pamphlet  on 
the  manufacture  of  water  gas  from  bituminous  coals. 
With  the  idea  that  it  might  possibly  be  helpful  to  one 
of  the  engineers  who  made  a  specialty  of  gas  engi- 
neering problems,  he  wrote  to  the  State  Geological 
Survey  asking  for  a  copy  of  this  pamphlet.  When 
it  arrived  it  was  sent  to  the  engineer's  desk  with  a 
note  calling  his  attention  to  it  as  something  new 
that  might  contain  some  original  ideas.  After  exam- 
ining the  pamphlet,  he  remarked  that  if  certain  ideas 
in  it  could  be  applied  to  a  property  on  which  he  was 
working,  and  he  saw  no  reason  why  they  could  not, 
it  would  mean  a  saving  of  many  thousand  dollars 
a  year. 

Every  business  man  needs  to  have  in  his  organ- 
ization, as  this  business  man  had,  a  news  gatherer 
who  knows  the  interests  and  needs  of  that  business 
organization,  and  who  can  classify  the  gathered 
news  and  make  it  available  promptly,  .while  it  is 


THEIR     VALUE  11 

news,  or  file    the  facts    where    they  can  be  gotten 
quickly  when  needed. 

The  Value  of  Proper  Filing 

Government  documents,  miscellaneous  pam- 
phlets, clippings  from  newspapers,  technical  and 
trade  periodicals,  to  be  of  use  and  of  value  must 
be  properly  classified  and  filed.  It  is  a  well  known 
fact  that  many  business  men  endeavor  to  keep  mis- 
cellaneous pamphlets,  reprints  and  clippings  in  their 
desk  drawers,  or  stacked  on  book  shelves,  and  when 
some  special  facts  are  needed,  waste  much  valuable 
time  hunting  through  this  mass  of  dusty  material 
for  the  information  that  they  think  they  have  stored 
away,  or  have  a  vague  recollection  that  they  saw 
somewhere,  ''not  sure  just  where." 

Business  facts  to  be  effective  must  be  readily  ac- 
cessible and  in  such  form  as  to  be  quickly  compre- 
hensible. This  collection  of  informative  data,  these 
business  facts,  which  so  often  clutter  up  a  business 
man's  desk,  or  through  lack  of  appreciation  of  their 
value  have  been  thrown  away,  could  be  effective  and 
available  on  a  moment's  notice  if  correctly  classified 
and  properly  filed. 

The  value  of  a  file  of  reference  material,  or 
business  facts,  made  from  a  careful  selection  of  the 
pamphlets,  reprints  and  leaflets  that  are  sent  to 
every  business  man,  either  unsolicited  or  by  special 
request,  and  a  judicious  selection  of  clippings  from 
newspapers  and  periodicals,  cannot  be  over  esti- 
mated. In  private  offices  where  such  files  have  been 
established  they  have  become  one  of  the  most  essen- 


12  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

tial  and  satisfactory  tools  of  the  business  man.  They 
give  him  the  facts  pertinent  to  his  business  interests 
in  handy  form,  easy  to  consult,  easy  to  carry  about 
and  study,  in  addition  to  the  assurance  that  he  has 
the  last  word  on  these  subjects.  The  organization  of 
files  of  this  character  requires  careful  planning, 
based  on  a  knowledge  of  classification  and  indexing, 
a  knowledge  of  sources  for  collecting  facts  pertaining 
to  the  task  in  hand  and  a  wise  discrimination  in 
soliciting  and  discarding  material.  To  be  effective 
they  cannot  be  managed  in  a  haphazard  way.  Every 
one  in  the  organization  should  cooperate.  These  files 
must  be  organized  and  maintained  by  some  one  who 
knows  and  who  can  give  them  the  attention  that  is 
necessary  to  make  them  function  properly. 

What  is  the  best  method  of  filing  this  material, 
that  is,  what  method  is  most  economical  of  time  and 
labor,  making  at  the  same  time  every  little  bit  of 
information  immediately  available  or  useful,  and  also 
making  possible  the  quick  elimination  of  such  ma- 
terial as  may  be  supplanted  by  later  knowledge  or 
discovery  ? 

Binding,  boxes  and  scrapbooks  have  been  used 
in  past  years  with  more  or  less  success.  Space  does 
not  permit  of  a  discussion  of  the  various  advantages 
and  disadvantages  of  these  methods,  especially  since 
the  vertical  file  is  now  generally  recognized  as  the 
ideal  way  of  handling  pamphlets,  clippings  and  office 
records  in  general. 

What  is  a  vertical  file?  A  vertical  file  is  made 
up  of  folders  and  guides  standing  upright  in  a 
drawer,  or  set  of  drawers,  and  arranged  in  some  pre- 


THEIR     VALUE  13 

determined  order.  The  folders  are  marked  by  num- 
ber, subject  or  name  to  indicate  their  contents,  and 
in  them  is  dropped  the  printed  material  pertaining  to 
that  subject  or  name,  according  to  the  method  of 
classification  chosen.  The  advantages  of  the  vertical 
file  are  that  they  keep  the  contents  clean,  free  from 
dust,  accommodate  all  sizes  and  shapes  of  pamphlets 
and  manuscripts,  are  easy  to  consult,  provide  for 
speedy  re-filing  and  "a  place  for  everything,"  and 
from  it  out-of-date  material  is  easily  and  quickly  dis- 
carded. Such  files  of  pamphlets  and  clippings  are 
variously  designated  as,  "Information,"  ''Reference," 
"Data"  and  "Subject  Files." 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  SOURCES  AND  SELECTION  OF 
MATERIAL 

Every  progressive  business  organization  aims 
not  only  to  avoid  hasty  judgments  but  also  to  expand 
and  develop  its  business  on  a  permanent  basis, 
explore  new  commercial  avenues  and  detect  the 
course  of  competition.  In  order  to  accomplish  this 
end,  a  systematic  collection  of  accurate  business  facts 
must  be  made  and  intelligently  used. 

Periodicals  and  National  Commercial 
Organizations 

Every  business  man  should  keep  himself  in- 
formed and  up  to  date  on  matters  that  pertain  to 
his  special  business  interests  by  reading  his  local 
newspapers,  possibly  one  or  more  out  of  town  finan- 
cial and  commercial  papers,  and  by  reading  the  peri- 
odicals of  his  specific  trade,  business,  or  profession. 
The  engineer,  be  he  civil,  electrical  or  mechanical, 
receives  the  various  periodicals  that  pertain  to  his 
special  calling;  the  lumber  man,  the  oil  man,  the  coal 
man,  the  export  man,  the  banker,  each  has  his 
-•special  journals  as  do  all  other  lines  of  business. 

In  addition  to  the  newspapers,  financial,  trade 
and  technical  periodicals,  the  clipping  and  filing  of 
which  will  be  discussed  in  subsequent  chapters,  each 
of  these  special  classes  of  business  men  receives  from 

14 


SOURCES     AND     SELECTION  15 

the  technical,  trade  or  commercial  organizations  to 
which  he  belongs,  bulletins,  monographs  and  re- 
prints written  by  authorities,  and  containing  the 
last  word  on  processes,  surveys,  investigations,  laws, 
results  reached  in  the  thousand  activities  of  the 
world's  work,  and  without  which  sources  of  informa- 
tion the  workers  of  today  could  not  keep  sufficiently 
informed. 

For  example,  the  electrical  engineer  in  business 
reads,  or  his  librarian  reads  for  him,  some,  if  not  all, 
of  the  following  periodicals:  the  Electrical  World, 
the  Journal  of  Electricity,  the  Electric  Journal, 
the  General  Electric  Review,  the  Electric  Railway 
Journal,  and  the  journal  of  his  technical  society,  the 
American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers.  From 
the  national  commercial  association  of  his  industry, 
the  National  Electric  Light  Association,  he  receives 
a  monthly  bulletin  containing  up-to-date  facts  and 
figures  on  the  electrical  industry.  He  may  also  avail 
himself  of  the  small  periodical  entitled  "Rate  Re- 
search," published  weekly  by  the  National  Electric 
Light  Association,  which  gives  all  the  latest  commis- 
sion decisions  with  extracts  from  articles  on  subjects 
which  bear  upon  electric  rates.  The  National  Elec- 
tric Light  Association  also  issues  for  his  benefit  the 
"N.  E.  L.  A.  Rate  Book,"  with  three  quarterly  sup- 
plements, which  give  him  electric  light  and  power 
rates  in  force  in  all  cities  of  25,000  population  or 
over.  He  also  receives  in  pamphlet  form  from  this 
association  the  important  papers  and  reports  of  com- 
mittees which  are  presented  at  the  annual  meetings 
of  the  Association  and  which  later  appear  in  bound 


16  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

volumes.  All  other  special  classes  of  business  men 
are  aided  in  their  special  industries  by  their  period- 
icals and  commercial  associations  just  as  the  elec- 
trical man  is  aided  in  his  particular  industry. 

A  fairly  complete  list  of  ''Commercial  and  Indus- 
trial Organizations  of  the  United  States"  with  data 
about  each  organization,  including  the  address  of  the 
secretary,  revised  to  November  1,  1919,  has  been 
issued  by  the  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Com- 
merce (Miscellaneous  Series  No.  99).  It  may  be 
purchased  from  the  Superintendent  of  Documents. 
Washington,  D.  C,  for  15  cents,  or  may  be  obtained 
from  the  local  office  of  the  Bureau  of  Foreign  and 
Domestic  Commerce,  established  in  some  of  the 
larger  cities  of  the  United  States. 

References  to  some  of  the  most  valuable  ma- 
terial to  be  obtained  for  the  information  files  is  scat- 
tered here  and  there  in  the  text  of  periodicals.  Lists 
of  pamphlets  under  such  headings  as  ''New  Trade 
Publications"  and  lists  of  advertisers  and  classified 
lists  found  among  the  advertising  pages  should  not 
be  neglected  as  possible  sources  of  value.  It  is 
essential  in  a  business  house  that  the  information 
files  be  administered  by  a  trained  librarian  who 
knows  how  and  where  to  look  for  material  of  inter- 
est, and  who  watches  for  announcements  of  new 
publications  when  reading  periodicals  and  news- 
papers in  search  of  business  facts. 

Pamphlets  Issued  by  Banks 

Many  of  the  banks  of  the  United  States  issue 
regularly  very  valuable    bulletins    containing  trade 


SOURCES     AND     SELECTION  17 

and  financial  information,  and  are  most  generous  in 
Rending  their  publications  gratis  to  business  houses 
requesting  them.  Some  of  these  banks  are  the  fol- 
lowing : 

The  National  City  Bank  of  New  York 

The  National  Bank  of  Commerce  in  New  York 

The  Irving  National  Bank,  New  York 

The  Guaranty  Trust  Company  of  New  York 

The  National  Shawmut  Bank  of  Boston 

The  National  Bank  of  San  Francisco 

Most  of  these  banks  print  a  list  of  their  publi- 
cations which  they  will  send  to  business  houses  from 
which  a  selection  may  be  made.  Other  banks,  such 
as  the  Continental  and  Commercial  Banks,  Chicago, 
print  their  publications  only  occasionally  and  these 
will  be  noted  in  reading  the  newspapers  and  peri- 
odicals. 

Chambers  of  Commerce  at  Home  and  Abroad 

The  Chambers  of  Commerce  in  various  cities  of 
'the  United  States,  organized  to  promote  commerce 
and  advertise  their  communities,  are  excellent 
sources  of  information.  Foremost  among  these  is 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United  States  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  which  has  an  exceptionally  fine 
information  bureau. 

Any  business  organization  interested  in  foreign 
trade  will  find  valuable  sources  of  information  in  the 
American  Chambers  of  Commerce  established  in  for- 
eign countries,  a  list  of  which  with  addresses  can  be 
had  from  the  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Com- 
merce, Washington,  D.  C,  or  from  the  branch  offices 


18  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

of  that  bureau  in  various  cities  of  the  United  States. 
These  Chambers  of  Commerce  will  furnish  data 
pertaining  to  their  foreign  localities. 

There  are  also  foreign  Chambers  of  Commerce 
or  Associations  with  offices  in  the  United  States, 
such  as,  The  Argentine-American  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, the  Chinese  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the 
American-Asiatic  Association,  the  French  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  and  many  others,  which  are  prepared 
to  furnish  trade  information  of  their  respective 
countries.  A  list  of  the  foreign  Chambers  of  Com- 
merce established  in  this  country  may  be  obtained, 
with  their  addresses,  from  the  Bureau  of  Foreign 
and  Domestic  Commerce. 

The  International  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
formed  in  Paris  in  June,  1920,  plans  a  complete  and 
reliable  information  and  statistical  bureau  for  inter- 
national trade  available  for  all  interests  and  coun- 
tries. 

Pamphlets  From  the  United  States  Government 

The  departments  of  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment operating  through  their  various  specialized 
bureaus  publish  in  pamphlet  form  or  mimeograph 
sheets,  information  that  every  business  man  should 
obtain  and  use.  To  become  familiar  with  this  large 
amount  of  pamphlet  material  which  has  been  issued 
and  is  constantly  being  issued  is  not  an  easy  task, 
and  to  select  the  pamphlets  applying  to  a  particular 
business,  requires  a  large  knowledge  of  Government 
resources,  which  the  trained  librarian  can  supply  to 
the  business  house. 


SOUECES     AXP     SELECTION  19 

The  best  method  of  keeping  posted  on  what  the 
Government  is  "■;"  "■'^rang  is  to  obtain  the  printed 
catalogs  of  pul.-.„:-.ns  that  have  been  issued  by 
the  various  departments  and  bureaus,  and  supple- 
ment these  by  subscribing  to  the  "Monthly  Catalog 
of  Government  Documents"  obtainable  from  the 
Superintendent  of  Documents.  Wasiiington.  D.  C, 
price  50  cents  per  yeai\  which  records  all  pamphlets 
issued  each  month  by  all  depaiiments  and  commis- 
sions of  the  Federal  Government. 

The  following  is  a  select  list  of  the  piinted 
catalogs  of  the  pan"iphlet  material  issued  by  the  vaii- 
ous  depaitments  and  bui^eaus  of  the  Govei-nment 
which  ai'e  especially  useful  in  business,  and  which 
will  guide  in  selecting  pamphlets  and  tell  which  ones 
are  free  for  the  asking  and  which  ones  must  be 
paid  for. 

Department  af  C<Miimerce 

This  department  issues  a  yearly  list  of  publica- 
tions with  a  monthly  list  of  additions.  It  maintains 
a  mailing  list  of  i)eople  who  ask  to  have  this  catalog 
and  the  monthly  additions  sent  to  them.  This  list 
of  the  Depaitment  of  Commeixre  contains  the  pub- 
lications of  its  bui'eaus.  three  of  which  are  of  si)ecial 
interest  to  business,  namely,  the  Bureau  of  the  Cen- 
sus, the  Bui*eau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce 
and  the  Bureau  of  Standai'ds.  Each  of  these  bureaus 
issues  a  separate  list  of  its  own  publications  which 
may  be  procui'ed  fi*om  the  bureau  if  desii'ed.  The 
catalogs  of  the  Bui'eau  of  Standai'ds  and  the  Bureau 
of  the  Census  give  veiy  full  annotated  descriptions 
of  the  contents  of  theii*  pamphlets,  which  ai'e  not 


20  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

given  in  the  list  issued  by  the  Department  of  Com- 
merce. They  also  record  publications  out  of  print, 
but  that  may  be  seen  at  the  Public  Library,  and  aim 
to  be  a  complete  catalog  of  everything  that  has  ever 
been  issued  by  that  particular  bureau.  They  do  not, 
however,  issue  current  lists  of  new  publications,  so 
that  the  monthly  supplements  issued  by  the  Depart- 
ment of  Commerce  covering  their  publications  are  of 
value.  The  ''Monthly  Catalog  of  Government  Docu- 
ments" also  covers  their  current  publications. 

Emphasis  should  be  placed  upon  the  value  to 
business  men  of  the  publications  of  the  Bureau  of 
Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce  and  the  Bureau  of 
the  Census.  The  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic 
Commerce  is  an  indispensable  source  of  information 
for  firms  engaged  in  foreign  trade,  and  it  is  also 
prepared  to  give  data  of  value  to  those  engaged  only 
in  domestic  commerce.  It  issues  ''Daily  Commerce 
Reports,"  a  valuable  pamphlet  that  contains  impor- 
tant financial,  commercial  and  industrial  news  and 
statistics  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  world  by 
the  American  Consular  officers  and  Commercial 
Agents  of  the  Government.  Its  price  is  $2.50  per 
year  from  the  Superintendent  of  Documents.  This 
bureau  not  only  furnishes  printed  pamphlets  but  also 
issues  advance  trade  information  on  mimeographed 
sheets.  From  it  also  may  be  had  lists  of  importers 
in  foreign  countries  of  various  American  products 
and  manufacture. 

The  Bureau  of  the  Census  furnishes  for  busi- 
ness use,  statistics  not  only  of  population  but  also 
of  manufactures  and  special  industries,  and  agricul- 


SOURCES     AND     SELECTION  21 

ture  in  general.  Statistics  of  cotton  production  and 
consumption  are  issued  frequently  during  each  gin- 
ning season,  and  statistics  of  tobacco  production  are 
issued  quarterly.  It  compiles,  every  five  years,  re- 
ports on  electric  railways,  electric  light  and  power 
stations,  telephones  and  telegraph  business.  An  ex- 
amination of  its  catalog  of  publications  will  show 
many  other  important  s-tatistics  which  the  business 
man  may  use  with  great  profit. 

Geological  Survey  . 

This  department  issues  a  yearly  list  of  publica- 
tions with  a  monthly  list  of  additions,  sent  free  on 
request.  Among  its  wide  range  of  pamphlets  of 
interest  to  business  men  should  be  noted  particularly 
its  statistics  on  mineral  production  and  petroleum 
and  natural  gas  resources  of  the  United  States.  The 
petroleum  statistics  are  issued  each  month  on  mimeo- 
graphed sheets,  and  the  Survey  also  issues  monthly 
statistics  on  ''Production  of  Electric  Power  and  Con- 
sumption of  Fuel  by  Public  Utility  Power  Plants  in 
the  United  States."  This  department  of  the  govern- 
ment is  also  strong  in  information  dealing  with  water 
power  resources. 

Bureau  of  Labor 

This  bureau  issues  a  catalog  of  publications 
semi-annually  but  does  not  issue  any  monthly  list 
of  additions.  These  will  be  found,  however,  in  the 
"Monthly  Catalog  of  Government  Documents"  which 
has  previously  been  mentioned,  and  also  in  its  excel- 
lent monthly  periodical  entitled  ''Monthly  Labor  Re- 
view," price  $1.50  per  year  from  the  Superintendent 


22  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

of  Documents.  This  Review,  in  addition  to  articles 
and  statistics  on  industrial  conditions  in  different 
parts  of  the  world,  contains,  as  an  appendix,  a  list  of 
references  to  pamphlets  and  books  on  labor  questions 
published  in  the  United  States  and  foreign  countries. 
The  pamphlets  and  reports  issued  by  this  bureau 
cover  conditions  of  labor  in  industry,  such  as  hours, 
wages,  employers'  liability,  also  cost  of  living,  whole- 
sale prices  of  commodities,  labor  laws,  etc. 

Bureau  of  Mines 

This  bureau  issues  quarterly  a  new  edition  of 
its  catalog,  each  issue  bringing  the  complete  list  up 
to  date.  It  also  issues  a  monthly  list  of  publications 
on  a  postal  card  which  is  sent  free  on  request. 
Pamphlets  issued  by  this  bureau  cover  not  only  what 
is  implied  in  the  name  of  the  bureau  but  they  also 
cover  the  utilization  of  all  mineral  resources,  such  as 
coal,  fuel  oil,  natural  gas,  etc.  They  are  valuable 
to  every  business  man  who  is  concerned  with  the 
problems  of  burning  coal  and  fuel  oil,  using  or  selling 
natural  gas,  or  engaging  in  the  petroleum  industry. 

Department  of  Agriculture 

This  department  does  not  issue  a  complete  list 
of  its  publications  but  it  does  issue  a  monthly  list 
of  publications  covering  the  pamphlets  issued  by  all 
its  bureaus.  But  there  may  be  had  from  the  Super- 
intendent of  Documents,  free  of  charge,  some  'Trice 
Lists"  on  special  subjects  which  have  been  treated  in 
pamphlets  issued  by  the  various  bureaus  of  the 
Department  of  Agriculture.  These  Price  Lists  are 
really  lists  of  bulletins  arranged  by  subject  and  giv- 


SOURCES     AND     SELECTION  23 

ing  the  price  of  each.  For  example,  there  are  Price 
Lists  on  Farm  Management,  Weather,  Foods  and 
Cooking,  Forestry,  Animal  Industry,  Soils  and  Fer- 
tilizers, etc.  The  publications  of  the  bureaus  of  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  are  useful  to  farmers, 
packing  plants,  dairy  industries,  lumber  men,  dealers 
in  seeds  and  many  other  special  lines  of  business. 
The  statistics  and  other  pamphlets  issued  by  the 
Bureau  of  Markets  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
are  also  very  useful. 

Last  August  (1920)  there  was  created  by  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  a  new  Office  in  the  Bu- 
reau of  Chemistry,  called  the  Office  of  Development 
Work.  The  staff  of  the  new  service  is  made  up  of 
engineers  who  will  translate  the  valuable  discoveries 
of  the  chemists  concerning  the  utilization  of  manu- 
facturing waste,  or  a  new  dye,  or  glue,  or  preserva- 
tive, etc.,  into  terms  that  can  be  understood  by  the 
manufacturer  and  investor. 

It  is  not  possible  within  the  limits  of  this 
pamphlet  to  discuss  further  the  value  of  government 
publications  to  business  men,  but  enough  has  been 
said  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  pamphlets  issued  by 
the  government  are  invaluable  sources  of  business 
information. 

Should  any  business  man  desire  to  acquaint  him- 
self fully  with  the  duties  of  the  various  departments 
of  the  government  and  the  scope  of  their  publica- 
tions, reference  should  be  made  to  ''Swanton's  Guide 
to  United  States  Publications,"  which  has  been  is- 
sued as  Bulletin  No.  2,  1918,  of  the  Bureau  of  Edu- 
cation, and  may  be  bought  from  the  Superintendent 


24  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

of  Documents  for  20  cents.  The  Superintendent  of 
Documents  also  issues  free  of  charge  besides  those 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Department  of 
Agriculture,  a  large  number  of  'Trice  Lists"  on 
various  subjects  that  have  been  treated  in  the  pam- 
phlets issued  by  the  different  departments  of  the 
government.  For  example,  Price  List  25,  Transpor- 
tation, lists  pamphlets,  reports  of  commissions,  re- 
prints, relating  to  railroads  and  shipping  problems, 
postal  service,  telegraphs,  telephones,  government 
ownership  and  control,  that  are  for  sale  by  the 
Superintendent  of  Documents. 

State  Publications 

The  '^Monthly  List  of  State  Publications,"  pub- 
lished by  the  Library  of  Congress,  Washington, 
D.  C,  price  50  cents  per  year,  is  the  best  source  for 
current  information  issued  by  the  various  State  gov- 
ernmental departments. 

Miscellaneous  Sources 

The  Pan-American  Union,  Washington,  D.  C,  is 
a  valuable  source  for  information  pertaining  to  Mex- 
ico, Central  and  South  America.  Besides  its  monthly 
magazine  it  publishes  bulletins  and  maps  which  in- 
clude information  necessary  in  trading  and  traveling 
in  these  countries.  The  Union  has  also  published  a 
helpful  ''Reference  List  of  Commerce,  Exporting  and 
Importing,"  giving  a  bibliography  of  books,  pam- 
phlets, magazine  articles,  and  commercial  magazines 
of  South  American  countries. 

The  Philadelphia  Commercial  Museum,  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.,  is  a  great    trade  promoting  agency.     Its 


SOURCES     AND     SELECTION  25 

foreign  trade  information  service  ranks  only  second 
to  that  of  the  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Com- 
merce. 

The  Federal  Trade  Information  Service,  business 
office,  175  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City,  pubHshes 
a  daily  bulletin  and  states  that  'The  purpose  of  this 
service  is  to  make  available  immediately,  with  inter- 
pretative matter,  the  important  information  of  the 
Federal  Government  affecting  various  departments 
of  corporations ;  banks  and  their  clients ;  commercial 
organizations  and  their  members."  It  is  also  an  ex- 
cellent source  for  noting  government  information 
which  is  issued  in  pamphlet  form,  notices  of  which 
usually  appear  in  this  service  more  promptly  than 
elsewhere. 

Standard  Statistics  Company,  47  West  Street, 
New  York  City,  issues  a  daily  service  similar  to  the 
Federal  Trade  Information  Service  but  broader  in 
scope.  Its  service  is  not  confined  to  the  Federal 
Government  but  aims  to  cover  all  basic  information 
affecting  trade  and  industry. 

The  Investors'  Book  of  Booklets,  published 
monthly  by  Rudolph  Guenther-Russell  Law,  Inc.,  25 
Broad  Street,  New  York  City,  $2.00  per  year,  in- 
cludes a  list  of  booklets  and  circulars  issued  from 
time  to  time  by  the  leading  financial  houses  of  the 
country,  setting  forth  the  conditions  and  prospects 
of  investments  in  individual  companies,  industrials, 
railroads  and  public  utilities.  As  the  status  of  such 
literature  is  constantly  changing,  the  value  of  the 
Investors'  Book  of  Booklets  depends  entirely  upon 
its  being  promptly  used. 


26  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

The  Publishers'  Weekly,  published  by  R.  R. 
Bowker  Company,  62  West  45th  Street,  New  York 
City,  in  its  weekly  record  of  new  publications  lists  in 
small  type  at  the  bottom  of  each  page  the  authors 
and  titles  of  new  pamphlets  on  a  variety  of  subjects 
with  the  address  of  the  publisher  and  the  price. 

The  Corporation  Journal,  published  monthly 
except  in  July  and  August  by  the  Corporation  Trust 
Company,  37  Wall  Street,  New  York  City,  "furnishes 
corporation  attorneys  and  others  interested,  a  brief 
account  of  current  happenings,  of  recent  court  decis- 
ions, new  laws,  etc."  The  company  also  publishes 
other  pamphlets  relative  to  corporation  laws  in  vari- 
ous states  which,  in  addition  to  the  Journal,  are  sent 
without  charge. 

The  Public  Affairs  Information  Service,  pub- 
lished by  The  H.  W.  Wilson  Company,  958  University 
Avenue,  New  York  City,  is  a  valuable  subject  index 
to  "all  kinds  of  publications — books,  pamphlets,  gov- 
ernment documents,  proceedings  of  associations  and 
even  unpublished  manuscript,  as  well  as  many  peri- 
odical articles."  It  may  be  subscribed  for  as  a 
weekly  or  bi-monthly  cumulative  service  according 
to  the  needs  of  the  business  organization. 

The  Industrial  Arts  Index  and  the  Agricultural 
Index,  which  are  issued  monthly  by  The  H.  W.  Wil- 
son Company,  not  only  index,  under  subjects,  articles 
to  be  found  in  a  large  number  of  periodicals,  but 
they  also  subject  index  the  pamphlet  publications 
and  reports  issued  by  various  departments  of  the 
Federal  and  State  Governments  and  by  individual 
organizations. 


SOURCES     AND     SELECTION  27 

The  Statesman's  Year  Book,  published  annually 
by  Macmillan  &  Company,  London,  but  to  be  had 
from  any  large  book  store  in  this  country,  in  addition 
to  giving  statistics  and  information  of  varied  char- 
acter on  all  countries  and  colonies  of  the  world, 
appends  at  the  end  of  each  section  a  bibliography  of 
official  and  non-official  books  and  pamphlets  on  each 
country.  It  is  an  excellent  source  for  obtaining  the 
names  and  addresses  of  official  publications  of  for- 
eign countries. 

The  Argentine  Year  Book,  the  Japan  Year  Book, 

the  year  books  of  all  foreign  countries,  are  also 
sources  for  pamphlet  material,  particularly  for  refer- 
ences to  government  publications  of  the  respective 
countries. 

Personal  Notes  and  Correspondence 

A  source  of  information  often  neglected  by  busi- 
ness houses  is  that  within  the  organization  itself, 
and  is  to  be  found  especially  in  its  correspondence 
and  reports.  A  great  deal  of  valuable  information  is 
gathered  together  in  field  work  and  in  special  inves- 
tigations made  by  the  members  of  the  branches  and 
departments  of  an  organization,  which  remains, 
more  or  less,  in  the  personal  notes  of  the  men  mak- 
ing the  investigations.  Some  of  these  data  may  be 
gleaned  from  their  letters  and  reports,  copies  of 
which  should  be  made  for  the  information  files,  but 
it  is  a  better  plan  to  have  the  business  organization 
require  these  experts  to  outline  briefly  for  the  infor- 
mation files  the  results  of  their  studies  and  investi- 
gations.   By  this  means  a  wealth  of  information  will 


28  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

be  gathered  for  the  permanent  use  of  the  whole 
organization  that  otherwise  would  be  lost  if  these 
employes  left  the  organization. 

Selection  of  Material 

It  is  impossible  to  list  in  this  chapter  the  many 
sources  for  information  in  pamphlet  form,  or  that 
to  be  found  on  specific  subjects.  With  these  general 
sources,  as  given  above,  a  librarian  in  a  business 
library  begins  the  organization  of  data  or  reference 
files  and  from  these,  new  sources  of  information 
are  constantly  being  suggested.  It  is  not  intended 
to  recommend  that  all  business  organizations  pro- 
posing to  organize  such  files  should  subscribe 
for,  or  purchase,  all  of  these  aids  to  the  accumula- 
tion of  business  facts.  Where  it  is  not  practical 
to  purchase  these  helps  the  business  librarian  should 
make  it  one  of  his  duties  to  visit  regularly  the  public 
library  in  his  city  and  read  and  check  the  suggested 
sources,  if  available,  for  the  facts  desired,  and  to 
anticipate  the  needs  of  the  business  organization  and 
obtain  for  the  files  the  facts  that  later  will  be 
required. 

In  selecting  material  the  important  requisite, 
next  to  knowing  sources,  is  discriminating  judgment. 
The  purpose  is  never  to  gather  a  quantity  of  facts. 
Space  is  too  valuable  in  business  offices  to  fill  it  with 
printed  material  that  holds  no  interest  for  the  busi- 
ness house,  no  matter  how  valuable  it  may  be  to  some 
other  house. 

In  order  that  the  business  librarian  may  be  kept 
in  touch  with  the  interests  and  needs  of  the  business 


SOURCES     AND     SELECTION  29 

house,  the  management  should  cooperate  and  keep 
the  Hbrarian  informed  of  their  needs  and  new  inter- 
ests as  they  develop.  When  the  administration  of 
these  reference  files  is  in  the  hands  of  one  person 
he  becomes  familiar  with  the  requests  and  reference 
questions  made  to  him  and  learns  what  to  select  as 
of  value  and  what  may  be  discarded.  His  newspaper 
and  periodical  reading  will  keep  him  informed  as  to 
current  events  and  assist  him  in  choosing  live  sub- 
jects, and  day  by  day  as  new  pamphlets  and  clip- 
pings are  added  to  the  file,  old  ones  that  are  super- 
seded by  later  information  may  be  discarded.  It  is  a 
wise  plan,  however,  to  take  stock  once  a  year  and 
clear  the  files  of  out-of-date  material  and  prevent 
them  from  becoming  historical  instead  of  full  of  live 
and  current  material. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  FILING  EQUIPMENT  NEEDED 

In  order  properly  to  install  vertical  files  of 
pamphlets  and  clippings,  it  is  more  economical  to 
purchase  at  the  start  the  filing  equipment  and 
supplies  that,  through  use  and  experience  in  business 
libraries,  have  been  found  most  satisfactory. 

The  requirements  are:  one  or  more  filing  units, 
or  filing  cabinets;  substantial  folders,  heavy  manila 
envelopes  and  possibly  a  set  of  guides;  3  by  5  inch 
catalog  or  index  cards ;  a  3  by  5  inch  card  tray  cab- 
inet to  hold  the  cards,  and  gummed  name  labels  for 
marking  the  folders. 

Vertical  Unit  Cabinets 

The  vertical  files  are  built  in  units,  three  or  four 
drawers  high,  with  removable  sides,  so  that  the  files 
may  be  expanded  by  the  addition  of  other  units  as 
the  collection  of  pamphlets  grows.  These  filing  units 
or  cabinets,  adequate  for  filing  pamphlets  and  clip- 
pings, may  be  purchased  in  two  sizes.  The  corres- 
pondence size  drawers  are  lOi/^  inches  high,  12  inches 
wide  and  24  inches  deep,  inside  measurements.  The 
legal  size  drawers  are  IOI/2  inches  high,  I514  inches 
wide  and  24  inches  deep,  inside  measurement.  The 
legal  size  is  much  more  desirable  for  pamphlets  and 
clippings  because  this  size  drawer  gives  more  filing 
space,  in  that  the  average  size  pamphlets  stand  side 

80 


EQUIPMENT     AND     SUPPLIES 


31 


by  side  in  an  upright  position,  without  lapping,  and 
the  large  pamphlets  or  oversize  booklets  are  accom- 
modated as  well  as  reports  on  legal  size  paper,  with- 
out folding.     Correspondence  size  units  occupy  less 


Fig    1       The  legal   size  unit  may  be   expanded  by   removing   the   sides   and 
adding  other  units.      Courtesy  of  Library   Bureau. 


32  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

floor  space  but  the  drawers  do  not  hold  as  much 
material  and  more  drawers  of  the  correspondence 
size  are  eventually  required.  There  is,  therefore,  no 
saving  either  of  floor  space  or  of  money  by  the 
purchase  of  the  smaller  size.    See  Fig.  1. 

Vertical  filing  cabinets  are  manufactured  in 
wood  and  steel  by  all  of  the  well  known  manufac- 
turers of  office  equipment  and  supplies,  such  as  the 
Library  Bureau,  Yawman  &  Erbe  Manufacturing 
Company,  the  Globe  Wernicke  Company,  Shaw 
Walker  Company,  Art  Metal  Construction  Company, 
The  Macy  Company,  etc.  There  is  no  advantage  in 
purchasing  steel  files  for  material  of  this  character, 
unless  floor  space  is  very  limited.  It  is  claimed  that 
a  half-inch  is  saved  on  every  steel  unit  over  the 
wood  units.     Wood  files  usually  harmonize  better 


Fig.  2.     Legal  size  pressboard  folder,  straight  edges  with  one-inch 
bellows  at  bottom. 


EQUIPMENT     AND     SUPPLIES 


33 


with  the  other  office  furnishings,  are  less  noisy  when 
the  drawers  are  pulled  and  pushed  back  and  forth, 
and  are  less  expensive.  The  points  to  bear  in  mind  in 
selecting  the  make  of  wood  vertical  files  are  to  have 
them  of  well  seasoned  wood,  perfectly  dried,  so  that 
there  will  be  no  swelling  or  warping,  and  the  drawers 
in  either  wood  or  steel  cabinets  should  be  mounted 
on  roller-bearing  slides  so  that  they  run  easily  when 
loaded. 

Style  and  Quality  of  Folders 

Folders  for  holding  the  pamphlets,  and  clippings 
too,  if  they  are  not  collected  in  great  quantities,  may 
be  had  in  several  qualities.  They  are  made  of  press- 
board,  of  manila  paper  and  of  a  fiber  material  that 
is  very  tough  and  durable.  The  pressboard  folders 
are  made  to  order  by  any  of  the  manufacturers  of 
office  and  library  supplies,  or  any  paper  house,  either 
straight  edge  or  with  tabs,  and  should  be  cut,  if  legal 


/P44-Pfe+rol«A;m    V. 


Fig.   3. 


Legal    size   pressboard    folder   with   tab    and   one-inch 
bellows  at  bottom. 


34 


PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 


size  files  have  been  purchased,  14 1/2  by  10  inches  with 
a  one-inch  hnen  bellows  expansion  at  the  bottom,  the 
front  edge  of  folder  a  half-inch  shorter  than  the 
back.  These  make  a  very  substantial  receptacle  and 
wear  indefinitely.    See  Figures  2  and  3. 

The  Yawmanote  Filing  Pockets,  Fig.  4,  are  made 
of  a  durable  fibre  material  with  bellows  expansion 

of  different  widths 
at  the  bottom  and 
about  half-way  up 
each  side,  making  as 
the  name  implies,  a 
pocket.  These  are 
manufactured  in 
legal  and  corres- 
pondence sizes  by 
Yawman  &  Erbe 
Manufacturing  Com- 
pany,  Rochester, 
New  York. 

The  Bushnell 
Vertex  Paperoid 
File  Pocket,  made  by  the  Alvah  Bushnell  Com- 
pany, Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  the  jute  and  leather- 
ette folders  and  pockets  made  by  the  Library 
Bureau  are  similar  to  the  Yawmanote  filing 
pockets.  Any  of  these  pockets  are  excellent;  and, 
like  the  pressboard  folders,  will  hold  a  great  deal 
of  material  without  sagging  or  getting  out  of  shape. 
Manila  folders  may  be  used  to  hold  a  few  pamphlets, 
or  until  the  collection  on  any  particular  subject 
becomes  large,  when  the  contents  may  be  transferred 


Fig.  4.  Yawmanote  Filing  Pocket,  legal 
size,  showing  bellows  at  bottom  and 
sides.  Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe 
Manufacturing   Company. 


EQUIPMENT     AND     SUPPLIES  35 

to  a  heavier  folder.  The  manila  folders  are  much 
cheaper  than  these  others,  but  they  are  far  less 
durable;  they  sag  in  the  file  drawers  and  will  not 
hold  nearly  as  much  material.  They  are  useful,  how- 
ever, for  a  small  amount  of  printed  matter,  and  save 
the  more  expensive  folders  until  the  collection  of 
material  warrants  using  the  latter. 

Binder  folders  are  useful  for  holding  together 
manuscripts  consisting  of  a  number  of  pages.  These 
are  light  weight  manila  folders  to  which  fasteners 
are  affixed,  either  at  the  top  of  the  folder  or  at  the 
center  alongside  of  the  fold,  and  bind  the  papers  in 
book  form.  The  Acco  Fasteners,  made  by  the  Amer- 
ican Clip  Company,  New  York  City,  may  be  pur- 
chased by  the  box  or  already  fitted  into  folders. 
From  the  Library  Bureau  may  be  purchased  folders 
already  fitted  with  the  L.  B.  metal  fasteners,  which 
are  similar  to  the  Acco  Fasteners. 

Articles  clipped  from  periodicals,  or  typewritten 
reports  of  a  few  pages,  may  be  bound  with  a 
manuscript  cover  paper  and  clamped  together,  or 
they  may  be  fastened  into  light  weight  manila 
folders  with  U-File-M  binder  strips.  This  latter 
fastener  is  a  strip  of  gummed  paper  that  is  glued 
into  the  folder  and  has  little  tabs  that  project  and 
are  glued  on  to  the  sheets  to  be  inserted.  These 
hold  the  sheets  one  behind  the  other,  like  leaves  in 
a  book.  They  may  be  purchased  from  U-File-M  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  Syracuse,  New  York.  On  the 
front  cover  of  any  of  these  binders  should  be  writ- 
ten, or  typed,  the  name  of  the  article,  its  source  and 
date  of  publication,  and  the  bound  article  dropped 


36  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

into  the  heavy  folder  with  the  other  material  on  the 
same  subject. 

This  method  of  caring  for  clipped  articles  and 
manuscripts  requires  but  a  few  minutes,  increases 
their  durability  and  helps  to  make  the  files  neat  and 
a  joy  to  use. 

Envelopes  for  Clippings 

If  a  great  many  clippings  are  collected  it  is  bet- 
ter to  keep  them  in  heavy  manila  envelopes,  the  same 
size  as  folders,  and  file  them  immediately  behind  the 
folder  holding  pamphlets  on  the  same  subject.  The 
envelope  prevents  unmounted  clippings  from  slipping 
out  into  the  di'awer  and  becoming  mislaid  or  lost. 
If  the  clippings  are  not  numerous  they  should  be 
mounted  on  substantial  paper,  light  weight  manila, 
or  bond,  that  does  not  tear  nor  crumple  easily,  and 
filed  in  the  folder  with  the  other  material  on  the 
same  subject. 

Gummed  Name  Labels 

The  gummed  name  labels  may  be  purchased  in 
five  different  colors.  They  come  approximately  four 
inches  wide,  ten  labels  to  a  strip,  1000  strips  in  a 
box,  ruled  for  folding  and  cutting  and  gummed  for 
sticking.  Before  cutting  they  may  be  run  through 
a  typewriter  and  subject  names  printed  on  them 
ready  for  pasting  on  the  folder.  These  may  be 
bought  from  the  Library  Bureau. 

Files  With  and  Without  Guides 

Two  systems  may  be  used  to  arrange,  in  the  file 
drawers,  the  folders  or  pockets  and  envelopes  con- 
taining the  printed  matter.    First,  in  a  small  collec- 


EQUIPMENT     AND     SUPPLIES  37 

tion,  guides  are  not  necessary  as  the  stiff  pressboard 
folders,  or  pockets  already  described,  cut  with 
straight  edges  and  plainly  marked  with  the  subject 
name  on  the  upper  left  hand  margin,  stand  out 
plainly  and  are  easily  found.  Second,  where  the  col- 
lection is  large,  that  is,  when  a  number  of  vertical 
filing  units  are  required  to  house  the  collection, 
guides  are  used  to  facilitate  the  filing  and  finding  of 
the  printed  matter. 

In  this  latter  system  pressboard  guides  with  the 
alphabetic  divisions  printed  on  their  tabs,  or  projec- 
tions, are  best  arranged  in  two  rows  at  the  extreme 
left  of  the  file  draw^er,  that  is,  the  tabs  are  cut  to 
stand  in  the  first  and  second  positions.  Miscellane- 
ous folders,  when  used,  should  have  tabs  projecting 
in  the  third  row  (the  use  of  miscellaneous  folders 
is  explained  in  detail  in  chapter  five.  The  folders 
for  holding  the  printed  matter  should  have  wide  tabs 
projecting  in  the  next  or  fourth  row  and  these  folder 
tabs  should  be  marked  to  indicate  their  contents  and 
the  folders  filed  behind  the  correct  alphabetic  guides. 
If  special  subject  guides  are  required  they  may  have 
tabs  projecting  in  the  fifth  row,  that  is,  at  the  ex- 
treme right  of  the  file  drawer.    See  Fig.  5. 

In  some  business  libraries  it  is  desirable  to 
arrange  the  information  in  the  vertical  files  accord- 
ing to  country.  Under  these  circumstances,  and  if 
the  collection  is  large,  the  pressboard  guides  with 
tabs  cut  to  project  in  the  middle  row,  center  of 
drawer,  have  the  country  name  printed  on  them. 
Behind  each  country  guide  the  tab  folders,  with  tabs 
cut  to  stand  in  the  fii'st  and  second  row,  should  be 


^ 


'^N- 


_0-T3 


N 


J 


■n 

c    . 
*  c 

o 


V 


N 


V 


C 
o 


Ml 

o 

X 


a   0) 

2  c 


M 


'5 

M 

to 
s 

"$ 

o 


EQUIPMENT     AND     SUPPLIES  39 

marked  with  the  subject  name  of  contents  and  ar- 
ranged in  alphabetical  order.  For  example:  a  guide 
with  tab  in  center  position  may  be  marked  France. 
The  first  subject  folder  with  tab  in  first  position, 
extreme  left  hand  side,  may  be  marked  "Advertis- 
ing." The  second  subject  folder  with  tab  cut  in  sec- 
ond position  may  be  marked  ''Exchange  &  credit 
conditions."  The  third  subject  folder  with  tab  in 
the  first  position  may  be  marked  'Tariffs,"  etc., 
meaning  in  each  instance  as  related  to  France. 

If  a  miscellaneous  folder  is  used,  it  should  have 
tab  standing  in  the  fourth  row,  and  should  be  filed 
behind  the  last  subject  folder  containing  information 
on  that  country,  and  just  in  front  of  next  country 
guide,  which,  in  this  instance,  may  be  Germany. 

Cards  and  Card  Tray  Cabinets 

A  good  quality  of  card  approximately  3  by  5 
inches  should  be  purchased,  preferably  of  linen  stock 
whose  edges  will  not  become  soft  from  frequent 
fingering,  yet  light  enough  to  run  through  a  type- 
writer and  record  made  thereon.  Punched  cards  that 
allow  for  a  rod  to  pass  through  are  preferable  as  the 
rods  prevent  spilling  of  contents  and  careless  re- 
moval of  cards  from  the  trays.  By  no  means  should 
more  than  one  weight  of  card  be  used  in  the  catalog 
or  index  and,  to  assure  proper  fit,  cards  and  card  tray 
cabinets  should  be  purchased  having  the  same  stand- 
ard of  measurement.  That  is,  some  manufacturers 
cut  their  card  stock  and  make  their  card  trays  with 
the  centimeter,  and  with  the  inch  also,  as  a  basis  of 
measurement,  while  others  use  the  inch  only  as  a 


40 


PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 


basis.  The  slight  difference  between  the  centimeter 
and  the  inch  will  cause  a  great  deal  of  annoyance  in 
fingering  cards  or  an  absolute  misfit  in  card  trays 
not  made  to  the  same  measure.  Therefore  the  meas- 
urement desired  should  be  specified  and  adhered  to. 
Card  tray  cabinets  may  be  purchased  with  one, 
two  or  more  drawers  from  any  of  the  manufacturers 
of  office  equipment  and  supplies. 


CHAPTER  IV 


HOW  INFORMATION  IS  CLASSIFIED 

Readers  must  bear  in  mind  that  these  chapters 
relate  to  care  of  pamphlets  and  clippings  in  busi- 
ness libraries.  In  many  public  libraries  this  class 
of  material  is  considered  ephemeral,  as  advance 
sheets  of  information  which  later  will  be  received  in 
book  form,  and  no  records  whatever  are  made.  The 
material  is  filed  alphabetically  according*  to  subject, 
and,  in  the  official  and  public  catalogs,  ''See  also"  ref- 
erences are  inserted  at  the  end  of  the  subject  entries 
that  direct  the  inquirer  to  the  special  subject  infor- 
mation in  the  vertical  files. 

In  a  business  library,  however,  the  bulk  of  this 
material  will  have  permanent  value,  as  much  of  it 
will  represent  all  the  facts  that  the  library  will  ever 
have  on  some  subjects.  .Under  these  circumstances 
it  is  v/ise  to  have  some  record,  a  record  of  possession, 
or  of  receipt,  of  the  most  important  contents  of  the 
files.  A  business  library  is  worked  intensively,  it 
cannot  accumulate  as  a  public  library  does;  office 
space  is  very  valuable,  so  it  "plows  deep"  and  makes 
available  and  useful  every  fact  in  the  smallest  pos- 
sible amount  of  material.  In  other  words,  the  mate- 
rial is  closely  analyzed  for  information  that  bears  on 
the  company's  interests  and  every  paragraph  of 
value  is  made  to  furnish  its  quota  of  facts.  It  has 
been  said  that  ''a  public  library  wants  a  little  of 

41 


42  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

something  on  everything,  but  a  business  library 
wants  everything  on  something,"  and  in  this  latter 
case  an  analysis  of  the  contents  of  the  pamphlets 
must  be  made. 

Systems  of  Classification 

In  some  libraries  the  material  placed  in  these 
vertical  files  has  been  arranged  by  the  Dewey  Deci- 
mal System  in  order  to  make  it  correspond  with  the 
classification  of  the  books  in  the  library,  and  with 
the  mistaken  idea  that  unless  a  decimal  system  is 
used  there  is  no  provision  for  subdivisions  of  a  sub- 
ject. The  decimal  system  is  too  intricate  for  a  sub- 
ject vertical  file ;  neither  is  it  sufficiently  expanded  in 
many  of  the  most  vital  subjects  of  today.  Its  use 
requires  a  complete  author  and  subject  catalog, 
which  is  not  necessary  for  this  class  of  material,  and 
the  making  of  which  takes  much  time  and  thereby 
delays  material  from  getting  into  circulation  as 
quickly  as  possible.  Another  objection  to  the  deci- 
mal system  is  that  the  catalog  must  always  be  con- 
sulted, as  a  key,  before  any  material  can  be  found, 
whereas  the  straight  alphabetic  subject  arrangement 
permits  of  direct  consultation  of  the  files. 

An   arbitrary   numbering,   that   is,    a   straight 

numerical  system,  has  also  been  tried  as  a  method  of 
arranging  this  class  of  material,  and  it  has  some  of 
the  objections  that  are  found  in  using  the  decimal 
system,  especially  that  of  having  to  consult  an  index 
before  being  able  to  locate  any  material  in  the  files. 
A  straight  alphabetic  subject  arrangement  is 
far  superior  to  the  decimal  or  numerical  systems  of 


CLASSIFICATION  43 

classification.  Its  simplicity  is  its  strongest  recom- 
mendation. It  is  simple  to  prepare  and  simple  to 
operate.  It  may  be  expanded  indefinitely  and  it 
brings  all  subdivisions  of  a  special  subject  together. 
It  is  intelligible  to  the  uninitiated  in  library  tech- 
nique, that  is,  it  is  not  an  enigma  to  the  business 
man  who  may  want  to  get  material  from  the  files 
when  the  librarian  is  absent. 

There  is  also  great  saving  of  time  in  cataloging 
if  the  alphabetic  subject  arrangement  is  used.  Under 
the  decimal  and  numerical  systems,  not  only  must 
main  author  cards  and  analyticals  be  made  for  every- 
thing put  into  the  files,  but  main  subject  cards  also. 
With  a  straight  alphabetic  subject  arrangement,  only 
the  briefest  records  are  made,  which  correspond  to 
an  abbreviated  author  card,  and  these  only  for  im- 
portant pamphlets  and  analytical  subject  cards. 
It  is  far  safer  to  have  these  brief  records  of  the 
information  rather  than  omit  them  and  depend  on 
the  memory  and  presence  of  the  librarian  for  facts 
which  in  case  of  his  absence  may  not  be  located. 
The  main  subject  card  is  omitted  because  the  pam- 
phlets are  filed  in  folders  marked  with  the  main 
subject  name,  and  thus  again  time  is  saved  by  the 
elimination  of  the  main  subject  card. 

Various  methods  relating  to  the  details  of  mak- 
ing the*se  records,  or  the  indexing  and  marking  of 
the  material  for  identification  in  filing,  have  been 
tried  in  many  business  libraries.  After  a  cai'eful 
study  of  these  methods  and  the  elimination  of  details 
that  the  writer  believes  are  unnecessary  or  a  duplica- 
tion of  records,  the  rules  that  have  been  found  to 


44  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

give  the  maximum  results  with  a  minimum  effort 
are  formulated  in  the  following  chapter.  The  adop- 
tion of  these  rules  produces  an  accurate  working 
reference  file  with  comparatively  little  expenditure 
of  time  and  labor,  while,  at  the  same  time  making 
every  bit  of  information  accessible. 

It  is  indeed  necessary  that  the  organizer  of  such 
information  files  be  a  trained  librarian.  It  is  neces- 
sary that  he  know  thoroughly  the  principles  of  cata- 
loging, as  it  is  impossible  to  abbreviate  methods 
unless  they  are  understood  in  their  entirety.  It  is 
necessary  also  to  have  knowledge  and  experience  in 
assigning  subject  headings  and  the  use  of  Cutter 
numbers.  Added  to  this  knowledge  a  keen  interest  in 
the  company's  business,  with  a  close  study  and  ap- 
preciation of  its  interests,  will  develop  a  business 
library  with  an  information  file  that  will  render 
efficient  worthwhile  service. 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  ALPHABETIC  SUBJECT  FILE 

Preparation  of  Material 

On  receipt  of  material  it  is  well  to  see  that  cov- 
ers of  pamphlets  are  intact  and  to  mend  torn  leaves 
where  necessary.  If  clippings  are  to  be  filed  in  the 
same  folder  with  other  printed  matter,  mount  them 
and  indicate  source  and  date  on  article,  if  space  per- 
mits, otherwise  on  the  mounting,  and  stamp  all 
material  with  the  name  of  the  library,  with  or  with- 
out date  of  receipt.  Bind  articles  and  manuscripts 
as  explained  in  Chapter  3. 

In  all  business  libraries  there  are  certain  period- 
icals that  will  be  bound,  or  kept  permanently  in  pam- 
phlet boxes  for  future  reference,  while  others  are 
not  worth  this  expense,  as  they  contain  facts  of  cur- 
rent interest  or  only  occasionally  an  article  that 
seems  worth  indexing  or  clipping.  In  the  case  of 
periodicals  to  be  kept  permanently,  all  articles  of 
importance  should  be  indexed  immediately  under 
their  subjects.  In  the  case  of  those  that  are 
eventually  to  be  discarded,  mark  and  index  the  article 
and  indicate  on  outside  cover  the  page  number  of 
article  indexed  and  file  the  periodical  in  its  pamphlet 
box.  At  the  end  of  the  year,  or  when  it  is  decided 
that  these  are  no  longer  worth  keeping,  the  librarian 
should  go  through  the  boxes,  and  aided  by  the  nota- 

45 


46  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

tion  on  covers,  clip  articles  of  value  for  permanent 
filing  and  throw  remainder  of  the  periodical  away. 
Sample  periodicals  and  periodicals  to  which  the 
library  does  not  subscribe,  or  has  purchased  because 
of  a  certain  article,  should  be  clipped  immediately. 
The  references  to  articles  in  periodicals  may  be  made 
on  a  colored  card  to  distinguish  them  from  book  and 
information  file  references. 

Subject  Headings 

Every  piece  of  printed  matter  for  the  informa- 
tion files  must  be  assigned  a  definite  subject  name. 
The  pamphlet  should  be  carefully  examined  or  read 
and  its  main  subject  decided  upon  and  notes  made  of 
other  subjects  of  interest  that  it  may  contain.  How 
close  an  analysis  or  how  much  indexing,  depends  on 
the  needs  of  the  library  and  upon  who  will  use  the 
files  besides  the  librarian.  The  H.  W.  Wilson  Com- 
pany indexes  are  helpful  in  choosing  subject  head- 
ings, that  is,  the  Industrial  Arts  Index,  the  Agri- 
cultural Index  and  the  Public  Affairs  Information 
Service,  all  of  which  are  published  at  958  University 
Avenue,  New  York  City.  These  indexes  have  been 
found  more  helpful  in  selecting  subject  headings  for 
this  class  of  material  than  The  A.  L.  A.  List  of 
Subject  Headings,  because  they  index  from  month 
to  month  the  latest  information  not  yet  in  books  and 
have  therefore  more  detailed  and  up  to  date  subject 
headings  on  facts  of  current  interest. 

The  Newark  Public  Library  has  published  a 
small  book  called  ''List  of  Subject  Headings  for  In- 
formation Files"  that  is  a  list  used  for  their  informa- 


ALPHABETIC     SUBJECT     FILE  47 

Cion  files.  While  it  contains  many  subject  names 
that  are  of  only  local  interest,  or  useful  in  a  public 
library,  it  also  contains  suggestive  subject  headings 
for  a  business  library. 

It  is  always  preferable  to  choose  subject  head- 
ings from  indexes  that  are  already  prepared  and  in 
use.  This  aligns  the  information  files  of  the  indi- 
vidual business  library  with  similar  material  in  other 
libraries,  and,  as  it  were,  standardizes  the  subject 
headings  and  makes  the  files  easier  to  use  in  conjunc- 
tion with  other  files  and  indexes.  In  addition  to  the 
subject  headings  found  in  these  printed  indexes  each 
business  library  requires  subject  headings  for  its 
specific  interests  that  are  not  found  in  printed  in- 
dexes, or  subjects  that  are  not  sufficiently  expanded 
in  these  indexes  to  meet  the  need  for  detailed  subject 
headings  of  specific  interest  to  a  particular  business 
library.  In  such  cases  the  librarian  must  study  the 
needs  of  the  organization,  must  also  learn  its  vernac- 
ular and  use  the  same  terminology  for  specific  inter- 
ests as  is  used  by  the  members  of  the  organization. 
For  example,  "Bloats"  and  ''Swells"  are  terms  used 
in  the  canning  industry  to  indicate  defective  cans  of 
food  and  mean  the  same  thing.  But  ''Swells"  is 
applied  to  cans  of  fruits  and  vegetables,  while  the 
term  "Bloats"  is  used  for  the  same  condition  by  the 
canners  of  milk. 

Someone  has  suggested  the  use  of  the  dictionary 
for  choosing  proper  words  for  subject  headings. 
Study  the  definitions  and  synonyms  and  select  the 
word  that  most  specifically  expresses  the  subject  of 
the  material  in  question.    Thomas'  Register  and  Hen- 


48  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

dricks'  Commercial  Register  may  also  prove  helpful 
in  selecting  appropriate  subject  headings,  though 
these  are  more  helpful  in  assigning  subject  headings 
for  trade  catalogs  than  for  information  files. 

It  is  necessary  to  keep  at  hand,  where  it  may  be 
quickly  consulted,  a  list  of  the  subject  headings  used 
in  the  files,  in  order  to  avoid  assigning  different 
terminology  to  the  same  subject  and  also  to  keep  the 
subject  terminology  uniform.  This  list  should 
always  be  consulted  before  assigning  a  subject  head- 
ing, and  is  best  made  on  the  temporary  index  slips, 
L.B.  catalog  No.  1190  or  1192,  and  filed  alphabetically 
in  a  cardboard  box  that  may  be  kept  on  or  in  the 
librarian's  desk. 

Marking  of  Material 

The  title  of  a  pamphlet  or  an  article  does  not 
always  indicate  its  precise  subject,  especially  news- 
paper and  magazine  articles  where  a  catchy  title  has 
been  used  to  attract  attention;  but  if  the  subject 
heading  that  is  chosen  does  appear  in  the  title,  under- 
score it  with  a  colored  crayon  pencil.  The  pamphlets 
and  clippings,  however,  must  have  some  other  defi- 
nite mark  of  subject  identification  both  for  conven- 
ience in  filing  and  re-filing  and  to  facilitate  charging 
out  of  borrowed  material.  Cutter  numbers  assigned 
from  the  subject  headings  are  better  for  this  purpose 
than  writing  the  subject  headings  in  full,  which 
sometimes  are  lengthy,  across  tops  of  pamphlets.  A 
colored  crayon  pencil  may  be  used  for  this  in  pref- 
erence to  ink,  which  generally  blurs  on  soft  paper, 
and  the  Cutter  number  should  be  placed  in  the  upper 
right  hand  corner  of  the  pamphlet.    See  Fig.  6. 


ALPHABETIC     SUBJECT     FILE 


49 


Lrss 

West  Virginia  Department  of  Agriculture 

BULLETIN 

Pukll*b*db7  tba  W«M  VirroU  D*l»Uiti«Dlol  AffTlciiltur*.  Cbwlu4o>    W     V«                                              1 

APRIL.  1*15 

NUMBER  4 

Live  Stock  Sanitation 

Law 

,.4mj^r*Kr  Af^u  )•■  mt) 

HOWARD  E    WILLIAMS 
CofnmlMloDcr 

Fig.  6.     Illustrates  marking  of  pamphlets,  with  the  subject  heading  in  the 
title  underscored.     Note  the  position  of  the  Cutter  number. 


Cutter  Numbers 

There  are  on  the  market  three  Cutter  tables 
to  be  purchased  from  the  Library  Bureau :  the  Cutter 
two-figure  alphabetic-order  table,  and  the  Cutter 
three-figure  table,  which  is  an  enlargement  of  the 
two-figure  table ;  and  the  Cutter-Sanborn  three-figure 
alphabetic-order  table.  These  three  tables  were  de- 
signed for  keeping  books  of  a  class  in  alphabetic 
order  on  library  shelves  according  to  the  author's 
surname.    By  means  of  the  initial  letter  of  the  sur- 


50  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

name,  combined  with  certain  numbers,  an  alphabetic 
and  numeric  sequence  is  provided.  Consequently 
since  these  tables  were  designed  for  surnames  rather 
than  for  subjects,  and  are  the  best  to  be  had  until 
someone  works  out  a  Cutter  table  for  subjects,  care 
must  be  exercised  in  the  selection  of  the  numbers 
and  the  building  up  of  numbers  for  subdivisions  of 
a  subject.  For  example,  the  word  ''petroleum,"  in 
strict  accordance  with  the  rules  of  the  Cutter  three- 
figure  table,  would  be  assigned  P449,  which  leaves 
no  extra  numbers  within  that  numeric  division  for 
expanding  the  subject.  Therefore,  by  moving  the 
word  ''petroleum"  up  to  the  beginning  of  the  44  divis- 
ion, namely  Pet44,  the  following  expansion  may  be 
worked  out. 

Petroleum  —  P44 

"  —  Distillation  F44D 

"  —  Laws  &  regulations  P44Lr 

"  —  Measurements  P44M 

"  —  Transportation  P44T 

Petroleum  as  fuel  —  P441 

Petroleum  industry —  P442 

Petroleum  sampling —  P448 

This  assignment  leaves  the  numbers  between  2  and  8 
for  insertion  of  other  subdivisions  of  the  subject 
"petroleum"  when  need  arises. 

This  general  principle  of  moving  a  subject  that 
will  need  expansion  from  its  proper  assigned  Cutter 
number  up  to  the  head  of  its  numeric  division  may 
be  followed  with  safety  because  the  alphabetic  com- 
binations in  subject  names  do  not  occur  in  as  close 
sequence  as  do  the  alphabetic  combinations  in  proper 
names. 


ALPHABETIC     SUBJECT     FILE  51 

It  should  be  emphasized  at  this  point  that  the 
assignment  of  Cutter  numbers  should  not  be  at- 
tempted by  a  novice;  it  should  be  done  only  by  an 
experienced  librarian. 

The  main  consideration  in  assigning  Cutter 
numbers  is  to  anticipate  the  probable  expansion  of 
the  subject  and  allow  sufficient  numbers.  For  exam- 
ple, in  the  Industrial  Arts  Index  the  subject  Automo- 
biles and  its  allied  subjects  make  an  extensive  list, 
and  a  business  library  interested  specially  in  this 
subject  would  need  to  allow  for  a  greater  expansion 
than  libraries  interested  only  incidentally  in  auto- 
mobiles. After  the  number  for  the  subject  has  been 
selected  the  folder  is  marked  with  the  Cutter  number 
followed  by  the  subject  heading  and  this  marking  is 
placed  on  the  upper  left  hand  margin  of  a  straight 
edge  folder  or  on  the  tab  of  tab  folders.  See  Figures 
7  and  8. 

The  Cutter  three-figure  table  is  preferable.  If 
the  collection  is  small  two  figures  only  need  be  used, 
but  it  is  advisable  to  have  the  three  figures  for  ex- 
pansion and  growth. 

Miscellaneous  Folders 

In  any  collection  of  pamphlets  and  clippings 
there  will  be  on  some  subjects  but  one  or  two  articles, 
not  enough  to  warrant  an  individual  folder.  Filing 
space  is  too  valuable  to  fill  it  with  folders  holding- 
only  a  pamphlet  or  two,  therefore,  there  may  be  used 
what  in  correspondence  filing  systems  are  called 
''miscellaneous  folders."  However,  too  strong  em- 
phasis cannot  be  given  to  the  warning  to  use  miscel- 
laneous folders  with  ofreat  discretion. 


52  .    PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

There  are  two  methods  of  using  miscellaneous 
folders  depending  on  the  amount  of  material  or  ex- 
tent of  the  files. 


/ 

Fig.  7.  Information  file  made  \ap  with  straight  edge  pressboard  folders 
without  guides.  Illustrates  alphabetic  arrangement  of  subjects  with 
Cutter   numbers. 

In  a  small  collection  a  miscellaneous  folder  may 
follow  a  subject  and  its  subdivision,  and  would  con- 
tain pamphlets  and  clippings  that  are  subdivisions 


ALPHABETIC     SUBJECT     FILE 


53 


of  the  main  subject,  but  on  which  only  one  or  two 
pieces  have  been  collected.  The  pamphlets  and 
folder  should  be  marked  the  same  and  have  an 
identifying  mark  for  ''miscellany."  For  example, 
M59X — Milk — Miscellaneous,  is  marked  on  the  folder 
in  red,  or  in  any  distinguishing  color.     See  Fig.  7. 


a^ 


"""^"^^ 


lnijlv.<lu>l  foUtr  for  wbj^ctl 

I  pampKlf  t^  Of  elipptn^i  ot£upi»i 
lU  fourth  m. 


Fig.  8.  Illustrates  a  Library  Bureau  set-up.  Information  file  made  up 
with  tab  folders  and  gTiides  and  miscellaneous  folders.  If  the  method  of 
using  Cutter  numbers  as  explained  in  the  text  is  adopted  they  would  be 
substituted  for  the  numerals  shown  on  these  folders. 


54  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

and  the  pamphlet  is  marked  M59X,  with  the  crayon 
pencil  used  on  all  pamphlets.  When  the  collection 
of  material  on  any  one  of  the  several  subjects  that 
have  been  filed  in  this  miscellaneous  folder  grows 
sufficient  to  warrant  an  individual  folder,  that  ma- 
terial is  removed,  the  mark  on  the  pamphlet  is 
changed  and  the  material  filed  in  an  individual  folder 
appropriately  marked.  For  example,  the  library  may 
have  one  pamphlet  to  which  has  been  assigned  the 
subject  Milk  —  Laws.  This  has  been  filed  in  the 
miscellaneous  folder  and  marked  M59X.  When  more 
material  on  this  subject  is  gathered,  remove  it  from 
the  miscellaneous  folder,  rub  out  the  ''X,"  substitute 
an  "L"  and  file  it  in  a  folder  marked  M59L  —  Milk  — 
Laws. 

In  this  same  small  collection,  besides  having  a 
miscellaneous  folder  following  a  subject  and  its  sub- 
divisions, there  also  may  be  used  a  general  miscel- 
laneous folder  filed  in  its  alphabetical  place  and 
assigned  a  Cutter  number  from  word  "miscellan- 
eous" M681  —  Miscellaneous,  printed  in  red  or  any 
other  distinguishing  color,  or  on  a  different  colored 
gummed  label.  In  this  folder  may  be  dropped  pam- 
phlets and  clippings  on  subjects  that  are  not  expected 
to  grow  and  are  of  a  general  nature. 

The  second  method  is  used  in  information  files 
made  up  with  guides  and  tab  folders.  The  miscel- 
laneous folders,  with  tab  in  third  position  marked 
similarly  to  each  guide  but  in  a  different  color,  are 
filed  after  the  subject  folders  and  just  in  front  of  the 
next  guide,  as  shown  in  Figure  8.  These  mis- 
cellaneous folders  will  hold  pamphlets  and  clippings 


ALPHABETIC     SUBJECT     FILE  55 

on  subjects  that,  if  given  individual  folders,  would  be 
filed  between  these  guides.  For  example,  the  first 
guide  is  marked  "A,"  printed  in  black,  as  are  all 
guides;  the  miscellaneous  folder  is  marked  *'A," 
printed  in  red,  as  are  all  miscellaneous  folders  in  this 
**set  up,"  the  second  guide  is  marked  "An."  Following 
the  guide  "A"  have  been  filed  individual  subject  fold- 
ers marked  Ac25 — Accidents;  Ad96 — Advertising; 
Am35 — Americanization.  There  is  one  pamphlet  on 
Alfalfa  which  is  marked  A128X  and  filed  in  the  mis- 
cellaneous folder  "A"  which  stands  behind  the  last 
subject  folder,  in  this  case,  Am35 — Americanization, 
and  just  in  front  of  the  next  guide  marked  ''An." 
When  the  collection  of  material  on  the  subject  alfalfa 
has  increased,  remove  the  pamphlets  so  marked,  rub 
out  the  ''X"  and  place  them  in  folder  marked  A128 — 
Alfalfa,  and  file  in  alphabetical  place. 

The  Catalog  or  Card  Index 

In  Chapter  Four  it  was  stated  that  in  a  business 
library  the  bulk  of  the  material  placed  in  the  ver- 
tical files  will  have  permanent  value,  and  that  under 
these  circumstances,  it  is  wise  to  have  some  record 
of  possession  or  receipt  of  the  most  important  con- 
tents of  such  files.  It  is  necessary  to  have,  at  least, 
what  corresponds  to  a  main  entry  or  author  card,  and 
to  a  series  card  that  will  furnish  a  check  on  the 
contents  of  the  files.  For  example,  series  cards  made 
for  the  publications  of  the  various  state  agricultural 
experiment  stations  will  indicate  the  bulletins  re- 
ceived and  the  subjects  under  which  they  are  filed. 
There  are  occasions  also  when  a  business  man  asks 


56  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

for  a  pamphlet  by  the  name  of  the  author  or  firm 
or  commission  issuing  the  pubHcation  and  does  not 
rememl)er  its  specific  subject.  In  such  instances 
the  autlior  entry  is  a  valuable  guide,  as  it  also  is 
when  material  is  not  found  in  a  subject  folder  and 
the  index  shows  either  that  it  has  been  received  and 
is  loaned,  or  that  the  library  has  never  possessed  it. 

Main  entry  or  author  cards  are  made  only  for 
material  that  is  important  —  not  for  every  leaflet 
and  booklet  that  may  possess  only  temporary  inter- 
est or  value.  Library  rules  for  cataloging  are  fol- 
lowed, omitting  imprint  that  this  class  of  material 
does  not  require.  On  the  main  entry  or  author  card 
will  be  written,  on  the  first  line  in  the  upper  left 
hand  corner,  the  Cu.tter  number  chosen  from  the  sub- 
ject of  the  pamphlet,  the  name  of  the  author,  or 
source  issuing  the  publication,  on  the  first  line  begin- 
ning at  first  vertical  line  at  the  left,  with  brief  title 
on  the  second  line  beginning  at  second  vertical  line. 
and  date  of  publication.  (See  Fig.  9.)  No  subject 
card  is  made.  The  Cutter  number  W381  indicates 
that  the  pamphlet  is  filed  in  a  folder  marked  W381 — 
Webb-Pomerene  law. 

If  a  pamphlet  received  is  to  be  analyzed,  make 
main  entry  card  as  shown  in  Fig.  9  and  indicate  on 
lower  part  of  face  of  card  the  subject  or  subjects 
of  the  analyticals.  (See  Fig.  10.)  The  pamphlet  thus 
analyzed  is  filed  in  folder  marked  M59G — Milk  indus- 
try &  trade,  and  the  analytical  card  is  written  as 
shown  in  Fig.  11,  the  subject  of  the  analytical,  "Milk- 
Standards-Foreign  countries"  written  in  red  and 
the  remainder  of  the  record  in  black,  giving  page  on 


ALPHABETIC     SUBJECT     FILE 


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58  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

which  that  information  is  to  be  found.  This  card 
would  indicate  to  the  searcher  that  information  on 
milk  standards  in  various  foreign  countries  can  be 
found  in  this  pamphlet  filed  in  folder  marked  M596. 
This  is  easily  located  even  should  the  searcher  not 
know  the  meaning  of  Cutter  number  M596. 

Series  cards  are  also  made  according  to  library 
rules  with  the  omission  of  the  classification  numbers. 
(See  Fig.  12.)  To  locate  any  of  the  pamphlets  thus 
listed  consult  the  back  of  this  card,  which  will  show 
series  number  of  bulletin  and  its  Cutter  number  for 
subject  of  pamphlet.  (See  Fig.  13.)  Some  librarians 
prefer  to  put  all  the  notations,  or  tracings,  on  the 
face  of  the  cards,  in  which  case  the  card  would  be 
written  as  shown  in  Fig.  14.  The  only  objection  to 
this  form  of  record  is  that  the  face  of  the  card  is 
apt  to  be  too  crowded  with  the  notations. 

If  a  folder  for  general  miscellaneous  material  is 
used  as  previously  described,  a  subject  card  must 
be  made  for  each  piece  placed  in  it,  because  there  is 
no  subject  folder  to  indicate  the  position  of  this 
material  in  the  file.  For  example,  a  library  has  a 
copy  of  the  pamphlet  giving  the  Diplomatic  and  Con- 
sular service  of  the  United  States  and  there  will  be 
but  one  copy  of  this  pamphlet  until  superseded  by  a 
later  issue.  It  is  not  necessary  to  put  this  one  pam- 
phlet in  a  folder  under  its  subject.  Drop  it  in  the 
Miscellaneous  folder  and  make  a  subject  card.  Diplo- 
matic &  consular  service,  which  directs  the  inquirer 
to  M681 — which  is  the  Cutter  number  for  Miscel- 
laneous.    (See  Fig.  15.) 


ALPHABETIC     SUBJECT     FILE 


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60  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

If  the  files  are  equipped  with  miscellaneous  fold- 
ers for  each  guide,  or  division  of  the  alphabet,  as 
in  Fig.  8,  then  this  pamphlet,  ''Diplomatic  and 
Consular  Service,"  would  be  filed  in  the  Miscellaneous 
folder  whose  guide  is  marked  nearest  to  the  spelling 
of  the  first  word  of  this  subject,  namely,  ''Diplo- 
matic," guide  marked  "D"  or  "Di,"  and  no  subject 
card  need  be  made. 
r  "See"  and  "See  also"  references  may  be  made 
either  in  the  catalog  or  in  the  file  itself,  preferably 
in  both.  A  "See"  reference  in  the  files  should  be 
made  on  a  single  sheet  of  stiff  manila  board,  similar 
to  the  material  of  the  folders  and  of  same  height, 
referring  from  the  name  not  used  to  the  one  used, 
as  Powdered  milk  See  D-831-Driedmilk.  (See  Fig.  7.) 
"See  also"  references  may  be  made  on  the  folder,  and 
will  obviate  the  need  of  consulting  the  card  index  in 
which,  however,  "See  also"  cards  should  be  inserted 
at  the  end  of  the  references.  For  example,  on  folder 
marked  In2L — Industrial  laws  &  legislation  is  added. 
See  also  W892 — Workmen's  compensation,  and  if 
there  are  any  subject  cards  in  the  card  index  headed 
"Industrial  laws  &  legislation"  a  card  should  follow 
reading  "See  also  W892 — Workmen's  compensation." 

If  the  files  are  extensive  and  there  is  also  a 
large  collection  of  books  that  have  been  cataloged  or 
indexed,  in  other  words,  if  the  card  index  is  a  large 
one,  covering  references  to  books,  periodicals,  and  the 
information  files,  time  and  effort  will  be  saved  by 
inserting  in  the  card  index,  or  catalog,  subject  refer- 
ence cards  to  the  main  subjects  in  the  information 
files.    It  will  be  recalled  that  main  subject  cards  are 


ALPHABETIC     SUBJECT     FILE  61 

not  made  for  the  material  placed  in  the  information 
files,  the  subject  folders  taking*  the  place  of  such 
cards,  but  one  card,  a  subject  reference  card  for  each 
main  subject  folder,  may  be  placed  in  the  index, 
which  on  many  occasions  will  save  time  and  prevent 
the  assumption  that  there  is  no  material  in  the 
library  on  the  specific  subject  being  looked  up.  For 
example,  one  card  in  the  index  marked  Patents  & 
trade  marks  See  V.F.  (vertical  files)  F272  indicates 
that  a  folder  containing  information  on  this  subject 
will  be  found  in  the  vertical  files.  (See  illustration 
No.  16.) 

Of  course,  this  subject  reference  card  is  not 
necessary  if  the  library's  principal  source  of  infor- 
mation is  the  material  in  the  vertical  files,  because, 
under  these  circumstances,  they  will  be  consulted 
first  or  cannot  be  overlooked  when  searching  for  in- 
formation. 

Filing  and  Arrangement  in  Folders 

When  a  collection  of  material  has  been  made 
ready  to  be  placed  in  the  files,  arrange  it  alphabet- 
ically according  to  subjects  before  proceeding  to  the 
files.  First  locate  the  correct  guide,  if  guides  are 
used,  and  then  the  subject  folder.  Lift  the  folder  up 
a  little  to  assure  placing  the  material  in  the  folder 
and  not  between  folders  or  in  the  wrong  folder,  and 
always  verify  or  check  the  marking  on  each  pamphlet 
with  the  marking  on  the  folder. 

No  attempt  is  made  to  alphabetize  the  material 
in  the  folders,  but  some  order  should  be  kept.  For 
instance,  all  maps,  photographs,  pictures  and  large 


62  PAMPHLETS     AND     CLIPPINGS 

pamphlets  should  be  placed  at  the  back,  and  smaller 
pamphlets  in  front,  standing  upright  side  by  side  so 
that  when  the  drawer  is  pulled  out  and  folder 
opened  the  titles  of  the  pamphlets  are  readily  seen 
and  read.  Large  pamphlets  lie  crosswise  in  the 
folders. 

Elimination  or  Discard  of  Old  Material 

In  some  large  public  libraries  very  specific  ar- 
rangements are  made  for  the  discarding  of  material 
at  specified  times.  This  is  not  necessary  in  a  busi- 
ness library,  since  only  a  small  proportion  of  the 
material  is  discarded.  The  elimination  is  made  as 
the  new  material  is  filed ;  the  old  that  is  being  super- 
seded is  discarded.  It  is  advisable  to  take  stock,  at 
least  once  a  year,  and  go  through  the  files  systemat- 
ically, making  room  for  new  material  by  removing 
folders  with  subjects  in  which  the  firm  no  longer 
has  any  interest  and  pamphlets  and  clippings  that 
were  only  of  current  value.  The  amount  of  discard- 
ing depends  entirely  on  the  interests  and  demands  of 
the  business  house,  also  on  the  resources  of  the 
public  library  or  other  library  facilities  in  the  city 
in  which  the  business  library  is  located.  At  the  same 
time,  it  is  not  wise  to  eliminate  or  discard  material 
and  statistics,  though  they  may  be  old,  that  may  be 
required  some  day  by  the  business  house  because  the 
information  may  not  be  available  from  other  sources 
at  the  time  it  is  most  needed.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered, of  course,  to  remove  from  the  index  all  cards 
main  entry  and  analyticals,  that  refer  to  the  material 
that  is  discarded. 


TURN 


LIBRARY  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 

2  South  Hall  642-2253 


AN  PERIOD  1 

2 

3 

5 

6 

ALL  BOOKS  AAAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

DUE   AS  STAMPED   BELOW 

AliU  . 

DAA  K\r\    nn  iq    ai;.,^    a'va 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELE 


H5M-\52. 


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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  UBRARY 


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